Don Griffing


Don at the race track.


Meet Don Griffing from Brandon, Florida.

My wife and I have a real pub called The Fox and Hounds with real beer, on draft, from England, Scottland, and Ireland. I'm also a racer, racing only Porsche's!!! My motors have won championships in 91 and 92. My wife and I are both America fans and we're going to see them this weekend in St. Petersburg. In fact, I may be the oldest fan because I'm 2 years older than Gerry.

The first time I saw Gerry was at Carpenter's Park, near Watford, in England. It was base housing for the military. He and I used to party together and after he graduated from High School (Central High or Bushey Hall) we worked together at RAF West Ruislip in Middlesex, England.

In case you haven't been told how they started, they played at the Teen Club on RAF West Ruislip. They didn't all play in the same group. After work we used to go to the pub across the street from the base and if we stayed at the pub late I would take Gerry home because I had a car and after the last train he didn't have a way home. At his house or Colonel Beckley's home we would listen to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Gerry would say, "That's the kind of music I want to do" (as in harmonizing).

How they got the chance to make a recording is that they had a battle of the bands at the Teen Club on the base. So Gerry, and Dewey, and Dan Peek got together with Dave Atwood on the drums. I would go and listen to them while they practiced. Well, they won the battle and the studio time but it cost 3000 (I can't remember if that was dollars or pounds).

I worked in the main building in the mail room and Dan Peek's dad was the commander there. When the first records were made, Colonel Peek asked me how many I and any friends would want. I said 20 should be OK!? They didn't last long so I got 20 more and I don't have one of those now!!

I recently tracked down an old 1969 yearbook with pictures of the guys their senior year in high school.

This past February Dan Peek's dad had dinner at our pub. We were talking about living in different countries and I found out that Tom Peek and I also went to the same school when I lived in Japan, between 1957 and 1960. Then we lived also in England together at the same time. It's a small world (and it's not Disney!!!!!). I am going to scan a picture of Tom when he was very young and send it to Steve so he can add it here. I knew Tom in England and we worked together at the base.

Feel free to send your comments or questions to Don.



Written: 25 October 1996
Last Revised: 17 March 1997